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  • Mightier than the Sword: Clifton Chronicles, Book 5

  • By: Jeffrey Archer
  • Narrated by: Alex Jennings
  • Length: 12 hrs and 55 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (1,692 ratings)
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Mightier than the Sword: Clifton Chronicles, Book 5 cover art

Mightier than the Sword: Clifton Chronicles, Book 5

By: Jeffrey Archer
Narrated by: Alex Jennings
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Summary

The fifth novel in the epic Clifton Chronicles series.

When the bomb goes off, how many passengers on the Buckingham lose their lives? You will only find out if you read the opening chapter of Mightier than the Sword.

When Harry visits his publisher in New York, he's told that he's been elected the new president of English PEN and immediately launches a campaign for the release of a fellow author, Anatoly Babakov, who's imprisoned in a Russian gulag in Siberia. Babakov's crime? Writing a book called Uncle Joe, an insight into what it was like to work as the interpreter for Josef Stalin. So determined is Harry to see Babakov released and the book published, he puts his own life in danger.

Emma Clifton, now the chairwoman of Barrington Shipping, is facing the repercussions of the IRA attack on the Buckingham. Some board members feel she should resign, but Sebastian Clifton, newly elected to the board, is determined that she'll remain chairwoman. Sir Giles Barrington is now a minister of the crown and looks set for even higher office until an official trip to Berlin does not end as a diplomatic success. Once again Giles' political career is thrown off balance by none other than his old adversary, Major Alex Fisher, who, for the second time, is selected to stand against him at the general election. But who wins this time? Sebastian asks his American girlfriend to marry him, and she happily accepts only to break off the engagement when she discovers what Seb has been up to behind her back.

Mightier than the Sword ends with two courtroom trials. One is a libel case held at the High Court in London, a fierce battle between Emma Clifton and Lady Virginia Fenwick, and no one can believe how far Virginia will go to make sure she wins. The second, a show trial, takes place in Russia after Harry is arrested as a spy. Thus continues volume five of the Clifton Chronicles.

This is Jeffrey Archer's most accomplished work to date, with all the trademark twists and turns that have made him one of the most popular authors in the world.

©2015 Jeffrey Archer (P)2015 Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

What listeners say about Mightier than the Sword: Clifton Chronicles, Book 5

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Still no ending?

If my memory serves me correctly this was originally a trilogy, then it became a chronicle, with 5 parts. BUT this book has again been left on a cliff hanger that points to another one in the series, I find this really annoying and doubt that I will bother with the next one as I feel I am being taken for a ride.
However, I did enjoy the book, apart from the overstated hatred and revenge shown by some of the characters, which I find quite unreal. The story was tense and interesting, BUT....... the ending has made me so cross and I am unwilling to wait a year to be left on yet another hook.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A good yarn

Like so much of Jeffery Archer's writing, this was a compelling story - just don't expect high literature. I'm hooked, so he has achieved his aim!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Ends on yet another cliffhanger!

You’ll enjoy this book more if you’ve followed the whole series and are familiar with the characters of the Barrington family and their adversaries. The last book ended just before a bomb was due to go off and this one similarly ends on a cliffhanger that left me feeling shortchanged. We’ve got to the 1970s so it looks like several more books are in the pipeline.

The writing is in the author’s characteristic, rather old-fashioned style reminiscent of John Buchan with good pitted against evil and, despite set-backs, the former prevails. It’s a world that is deferential to titles and where most businessmen, bankers and politicians are honourable men and the bad ones get their comeuppance: gosh those were the days, if they ever existed! I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the numerous contemporary references to exclusive shops, theatre performances, football matches and flight numbers on BOAC planes, but I think they adds to colour to the narrative.

It’s not great literature but it did keep me hooked with so many of the characters being in jeopardy: libel and criminal trials; business skulduggery, revenge and lost loves. I wasn’t convinced by Harry's stupendous feats of memory or the procedures in the libel trial, but it’s fiction not fact.

Alex Jennings has long been one of my favourite actors and he is also an outstanding narrator with a range of voices to make a book more a play than an audiobook.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Popmous

Would you try another book written by Jeffrey Archer or narrated by Alex Jennings?

I have read many Jeffrey Archer books but this instalment stopped me feeling any empathy to the characters. The whole book was too pompous
I find it hard to say I liked a lot about this book

Has Mightier Than the Sword put you off other books in this genre?

No I will not be buying any more of this series

What three words best describe Alex Jennings’s voice?

He does not, instead it came over as a boring fact filling plain sandwich. It gave me the impression that the author did not enjoy writing this book

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The narrator was good but limited with the content he had to work with.

Any additional comments?

This book was unrealistic, lacking in character empathy, who all seem to have got lost in the series and their original backgrounds have blurred into middle / upper class sameness.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic book. Full of depth and intrigue

What an amazing series of books I thought this was the final but have been left with another cliffhanger. Very clever Mr Archer
When is the next one due?
Beautifully written and narrated

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Pure brilliance

It seems J Archer is turning me into a mature student in History.... His storytelling makes you want to learn more about certain subjects... Wel it does me anyway!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
  • s
  • 10-04-15

As always value for money

I'm never disappointed with Jefrey Archer. Even when he spins and drags out a story still enjoyable.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

When is the follow up due?

Don't know how long I can wait for the next one in the Clifton chronicles. So many more loose ends to make another superb book

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Still interesting

If you could sum up Mightier than the Sword: Clifton Chronicles, Book 5 in three words, what would they be?

Forced cliffhanger

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Concentrate on Sebastian a little more.

Have you listened to any of Alex Jennings’s other performances? How does this one compare?

All are excellent

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Any additional comments?

A good read but the earlier Clifton Chronicles were an excellent read.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The ending was a disappointment

Very enjoyable and held my attention I thought that naming Seb's daughter was very clever. I was a little disappointed with the ending.

Alex Jennings was excellent as the narrator

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1 person found this helpful